Short Answer: Green tea is good for high cholesterol. Because it has catechins and caffeine and they can lower LDL and total cholesterol, and possibly increase HDL cholesterol.
High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.
In high cholesterol, your body produces or consumes too much cholesterol, a waxy substance that circulates in your blood.
This can lead to various health problems, such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart attack.
One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.
What you consume can affect your blood cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, and fruits and avoid saturated fat-rich foods like butter, cheese, and red meat.
Now, green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.
People usually drink green tea as a hot or cold beverage, or take it as a supplement in capsules or extracts.
Green tea is good for high cholesterol because it contains catechins and other antioxidants.
Catechins are plant compounds that can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol in the blood.
Green tea may also increase HDL (good) cholesterol, but the evidence is less consistent.
One cup of green tea can give you about 50–100 milligrams (mg) of catechins and 30–40 mg of caffeine.
Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, but it may also have some benefits for cholesterol levels.
Catechins can positively affect high cholesterol by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines, reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver, and enhancing the excretion of cholesterol in the bile.
Caffeine can positively affect high cholesterol by increasing the activity of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Caffeine can also negatively affect high cholesterol by increasing the production of cortisol, a hormone that can raise blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, green tea is a non-alcoholic drink and non-alcoholic drinks are good for high cholesterol.
Because, alcohol can increase triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol, as well as damage the liver and increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
You can drink 3–5 cups of green tea per day safely.
More than that can cause insomnia, anxiety, irritability, nausea, and other side effects due to caffeine.
Also, you shouldn’t drink green tea if you have bleeding disorders, iron deficiency, glaucoma, or liver problems to prevent worsening your condition.
Because, green tea can interfere with blood clotting, reduce iron absorption, increase eye pressure, and aggravate liver damage.
You can buy fresh green tea leaves or tea bags in your local market or order them online.
Always choose organic and high-quality green tea products.
Because, they have more catechins and less pesticides and contaminants than low-quality ones.
You can store them in a cool, dry, and dark place for up to 6 months.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.
I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.